Open Algorithms (OPAL) Project

OPAL (for Open Algorithms) is a collaborative project being developed by a group of partners committed to leveraging the power of platforms, big data and advanced analytics for the public good in a privacy-preserving, commercially sensible, stable, scalable, and sustainable manner.

OPAL’s core will consist of an open suite of softwares and open algorithms providing access to statistical information extracted from anonymized, secured and formatted data. These algorithms, accessed by an API, will be run on OPAL servers of partner companies, behind their firewalls. The vision is to strengthen the accuracy, timeliness and reliability of key development indicators and statistics of relevance for an array of users. The project will start with APIs to access indicators such as population density, mobility, approximations of poverty indices, or literacy rate based on mobile data from telecom operators as well as a library of certified open algorithms to extract these indicators in a governed and trustworthy manner.

The OPAL Project will also engage with data providers, users and analysts at all stages of its development, build local capacities and connections, and set-up local Data Governance and Advisory Boards for oversight and support of its operations.

Two pilots will be undertaken in the form of public-private-people partnerships in Senegal with Orange Sonatel and in Colombia with Telefónica. The aim during the pilot phase is to develop a Beta platform and a suite of open algorithms, all accessible as open source. These pilots will also assess the quality of the statistical indicators that are obtained from the platform. If the first two pilots are considered successful, the project could be extended to other developing countries.